Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017)

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After many false starts we finally have the much anticipated next installment in the Jeepers Creepers series. Thinking back on the progress and how we got to this point, a sequel had been in talks since before the second movie even found its way into theaters, but finding proper financing has always been an issue (and writer/director Victor Salva's sordid past didn't help matters). Over the years many ideas have been thrown around, like some parts of the film possibly taking place in western times (which might explain The Creeper's choice in clothing) and the more reported idea of the story taking place 23 years after the events of the last one. This idea, of course, is now believed to be where the fourth and final installment takes place, assuming it officially moves forward.

While I'm a huge fan of the first film I was rather disappointed with the second since it primarily took place in and around a bus. It's especially disappointing considering that the first ended in a cliffhanger, so naturally you'd want to know what happens after the events at the police station. Luckily that's where this third one comes in, filling in the gaps between the first and second and finally answering the question of what the hell happened after Darry was taken away.

The story takes place shortly after the events of the first, as we follow Sgt. Tubbs (once again played by Brandon Smith) putting a team together to hunt down The Creeper. Accompanied by another sheriff (Stan Shaw) who happens to have a history with the creature, the men attempt to follow The Creeper's trail and hope to gain a little knowledge on how to stop him along the way. Meanwhile, short on time and with lots to do, The Creeper is running (or should I say flying?) around town hunting locals and throwing them in the back of his infamous truck, as if storing them for later. It's only a matter of time before The Creeper reaches an old farm run by Meg Foster, who apparently holds the key to his origins and possibly a way to stop him once and for all.

This is essentially the sequel that we should have gotten a long time ago instead of the the whole bus fiasco, but I suppose better late than never. Being a fan of the movies I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this and in some respects it was worth the wait--it's well paced and with a good amount of action from The Creeper, especially his truck. The first movie only showed how menacing the truck was, while here it's essentially its own character. The damn thing has all sorts of traps and gadgets that are built into it to stop people from screwing around and don't even think about trying to escape from the inside because there are sharp pointy measures against that as well. It's definitely a nice addition to The Creeper's arsenal.

Next to the truck we learn a little more about the winged foe himself thanks to a little insight from Meg Foster, though it's more like a tease than anything since very little is even revealed. The rest of the movie offers a decent amount of blood and bits of gore here and there, but nothing really notable. My biggest complaint comes from the film's seriously dodgy CG effects. I'm not sure what the budget was, but supposedly the filmmakers were on a strict deadline, so they didn't have enough time to properly take care of the CG, but either way, it's pretty terrible. The ending ties fairly well to the second movie, and also leaves open a cameo with an aged Trish (Gina Phillips) at the very end vowing vengeance for her brother. Aside from the CG I had a good time with this and really hope we do get that next movie (maybe spend a bit longer in post this time?).

OVERALL:

This is the sequel we should have received all those years ago since it's a nice improvement over the last installment (mostly in the story department). Well paced from the start, fans should get a kick outta seeing The Creeper back in action, especially behind his iconic truck once again (which proves to be just as menacing as The Creeper himself). Unfortunately the movie does suffer from some noticeably terrible CG effects, which can take you out of the film a little. However, if you can look passed that you'll likely find yourself having a blast, like I did.

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